Portable clothes drier



y 8, 1957 A. A. TURNER 2,793,444

' PORTABLE CLOTHES DRIER Filed July 22, 1955 4 SheetsSheet l IN V EN TOR.

May 28, 1957 A. A. TURNER PORTABLE CLOTHES DRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1955 May 28, 1957 A. A. TURNER PORTABLE CLOTHES DRIER Filed July 22, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 28, 1957 A. A. TURNER PORTABLE CLOTHES DRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 22, 1955 United States Patent PORTABLE CLOTHES DRIER Arthur A. Turner, East St. Louis, Ill. Application July 22, 1955, Serial No. 523,789

13 Claims. (Cl. 34-133) This invention relates to a portable clothes drier.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a portable clothes drier which may be carried about in the manner of a suitcase or carrying case, which is light in weight, which may be readily attached to any electrical outlet, which is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and inexpensive to operate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable clothes drier of the foregoing character which occupies very little space when being transported or stored, which may be set anywhere on the floor or table or the like when used, and which may be readily expanded for use to increase the capacity of the. clothes drying compartment and readily collapsed when in non-use.

The present day clothes driers are of such size and character that they cannot be readily transported or carried by the hand, and conveniently stored in small apartments, due to the fact that the compartment of the drier in which the clothes are placed must be suliiciently large to receive a certain convenient quantity of clothes or material to be dried, and this predetermines the size of the drier. With this invention it is possible to provide a clothes drying compartment which in non-use position is collapsed to occupy a minimum amount of space and when set up for use is expanded to a degree so that its capacity is sulficient to hold a large amount of clothes comparable to large clothes driers.

With this invention there is provided a clothes drier which is contained within a housing of a size which may be readily carried, transported or stored, but with a clothes drying compartment which when in use is expanded beyond the length of the housing to increase the capacity of the compartment so that a relatively large quantity of material may be dried.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable clothes 'drier which operates on a tumbler principle so that the clothes are constantly being rotated or tumbled within the bag while drying thereby increasing the chiciency of the machine and accelerating the drying of the clothes.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the portable clothes drier in closed position, i. e. such as when being stored or being transported.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the clothes drier in expanded position, i. e. when some is operating for the purpose of drying clothes.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational View taken on the. opposite end to that of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view and showing some of the parts in dotted lines.

Fig. 6 is a detailed longitudinal section of the unit in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Patented Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view taken on lines 3--3 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 95 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a view of the wiring diagram.

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of construction utilizing a telescopic drum in place of the collapsible bag.

Fig. 12 is a view of the Fig. ll construction in telescopic or collapsed position.

Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view taken on line l3-l3 of Fig. 12 and Fig. 14 is a perspective view of one of the sections of the drum.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the portable clothes drier when in non-extended or collapsed position is of a size substantially that of a suitcase or carrying case which may be carried by a handle and which is of a size so that it may be readily stored in a small compartment, in any closet, under the sink or any place which requires very little space.

In Figs. 2 and 6, the clothes is shown in extended or open position and it is in his position when same is operating as a clothes'drier. in this position the capacity of the bag in which the clothes placed is at it; maximum capacity. it will be seen that even in cxtended position the space OCCUplCd by the clothes d2 is such that it can be operated on any iioor, table or t like and does not take up ry much space. After i clothes drier has been opcrat and the clothes realm-st it is then collapsed to that Sir\/\ x in it The housing of the clothes dr' 0 by the numeral 12 and some inclu a rear end wal a base 16 secured thereto and a vertical wall sec= to said base in spaced relation to the end two walls heretofore described when enelr ed by a suitable covering form a compartment ill for housing the motor, air turbine and heating element to be descri d.

Angularly supported within compartme t is a high speed electric motor 22. The motor 22 h 24 which extends through an opening 26 in the Wall to extend forwardly of said wall. zedly mounted on the end of said shaft is a friction wneel which is tional engagement with a rotatable beveled disc purpose of driving same, will be subsequently desc Mounted on the upper end of the motor 22 to be rive: thereby is an air turbine generally indicated by ll 30. Supported upwardly of said air turbine is heating element generally indicated at 32.

The electrical heating element 32 and air turbine 1 enclosed within a housing generally ind" 'ed .54 and which is formed of a cylindrical section 3s encl ing the heating element 32. and an enlarged circu r s enclosing the air turbine. The circular section housing 34 is connected to a tubular condtlt in turn is connected to a tubular conduit 48 supported in the wall 18 which leads into the tumbling unit d presently to be described. The upper of chad section 36 is closed by an end wall which opening in which is supported the h The upper end of the cylindrical section 3-: spaced air intake slots 2-4.

A truncated cone shaped member is p turbine casting 3t] and rotates with the throne and is positioned between the heating element and air turb'" A bracket 23 (Figs. 6 and 8) is secured to as at 25. Said bracket clamps as at to U cular section 37 of housing 34 to support the motor and air turbine as well as housing 34.

The rear wall 14 has an enlarged circular onenin as g adjacent the upper end which supports a casing 43 at the outer ends of which are secured a plurality of wire mesh screens 50.

Air is drawn in by the air turbine from the outside through the wire screening 59 through the intake slots 44 in the cylindrical section 36 over the heating element 32 where the air is heated and passed through the circular section 37 of the housing, through tubular conduits 33 and 4t and into the interior of the tumbling unit.

The motor shaft 24 carries a sleeve 52 which is mounted in roller bearings and is rotatable with respect to said shaft. A bowed shaped spring 54 is secured as at 56 to the base 16 of the compartment 20 and is in engagement with said sleeve 52 so as to normally urge the friction wheel 28 on said shaft in engagement with the rotatable beveled disc.

A rigid shell-like covering member generally indicated at 58 and made of metal or the like is secured to the two wall members 14 and 18 and extends'to the base 16 to enclose compartment 20. Said covering extends forwardly of the wall member 18 and said covering is substantially the length of the entire portable unit when same is in closed position. Said covering member has a slot 59 on each side thereof for access to a clamping member for clamping the telescopic rods to be described.

The wall 18 of compartment 20 is provided with a pair of spaced openings which receive a pair of tubular sleeves 60 which are rigidly secured between walls 14 and 18 and which tubular sleeves extend forwardly of the wall 18. Slideably mounted in said tubular sleeves 613 are a pair of tubular rods 62 which telescope into said sleeves and which are held in any adjusted position by means of clamping members 64 secured on the ends of the tubular sleeves 60. The clamping members 64 each have a handle 65 which are manually accessible through slots 59. The opposite ends of the tubular rods 62 are fixedly secured to a front end wall member 66 which forms the front of the unit. The front wall 66 has an arcuate shaped top as shown which is similar to the shape of walls 14 and 18. The front Wall 66 is therefore movable and adjustable with respect to the rear compartment 20. The front wall 66 fixedly supports a spindle or stud shaft generally indicated by the numeral 68, on which is suitably mounted a rotatable disc 70 which forms the front of the rotatable bag or tumbling drum generally indicated at 72 within which the clothes are contained.

The tubular conduit 40 supported on the wall 18 previously described acts as a shaft and rotatably supports a disc member 74 having a beveled peripheral surface 75 which surface is in engagement with the friction wheel 28 previously described and which disc is driven by said friction wheel.

As best shown in Fig. 6 the disc member 74 has a central opening and a sleeve 76 fits within said opening and said sleeve is secured to the disc by screw member 77 and spacer collar 78. The disc 74 and sleeve 76 rotates on the tubular conduit 40. The sleeve 76 has an annular flange 80 at the front thereof. Mounted on the tubular conduit forwardly of the flange 80 is a clamping sleeve 82 which supports a freely rotatable wheel 83 in engagement with the flange 80. Said clamping sleeve and rotatable wheel permits rotation of the disc member 74 but prevents it from moving forwardly or to the left as viewed in Fig. 6.

A cylindrical bag preferably porous made of a flexible and collapsible material such as canvas or the like and generally designated by the numeral 86 is permanently secured to the rotatable discs 70 and 74 and forms a tumbling compartment or drum for receiving the clothes to be dried. The bag or drum is provided with a longitudinal opening 87 and a suitable zipper closure member 88 so that the interior of the bag is accessible for inserting and removing clothes.

Spacedly and circumferentially secured to the rotatable discs 70 and 74 interiorly of the bag are a plurality of elastic straps 90 best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The straps 90 are secured to the discs 70 and 74 adjacent the periphery of the discs to facilitate tumbling of the clothes. As the rear disc 74 is rotated by the friction wheel 28, the bag and front disc 70 will be simultaneously rotated as a unit due to the elastic straps 9t: and to the bag, both of which are sufficient to connect the two discs 76 and 74 to cause them to rotate simultaneously.

The front wall member 66 is provided with a slot 89 Within which is freely rotatably supported roller 92. vhich bears against the rotatable disc 70.

The top of the casing or housing is provided with a carrying handle 94. The electric motor 22 and electric rubber rollers 100.

Secured to the front of the covering member 58 are a plurality of spring loaded hook clips generally indicated at 161 which cooperate with the front wall 66 for the purpose of locking the front wall to the housing. in

i this locked position the unit may be readily transported and stored.

The operation should be readily apparent from the foregoing description but same will now be very briefly described. Either for transportation or for storing the unit, the unit is in closed position as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. However, when in use the unit is in extended position as shown in Figs. 2 and 6 and in this position the front wall 66 is moved outwardly or to the left as shown in said figures after the hook clips 101 have been first released,

so that the bag or drum is in its fully extended position. To secure said bag in said extended position the clamping members 64 on the sleeves 66 are manually tightened through the slots 59 by means of the handle 65. With the electric motor 22 operating through the switch and electrical current, the motor will drive the motor shaft 24 and friction wheel 28 to rotate disc 74. Rotation of said disc simultaneously rotates the bag or drum 72 and front disc 70 as previously described. The air turbine 30 is simultaneously being operated by the motor 22 to draw in air and pass it over the heating element 32. The heated air passes downwardly from the cylindrical section 36, through circular housing 37 into the conduit 38 through conduit 40 and into the interior of the bag 72 and is finally expelled through the porous bag or drum 72. As the bag is rotating the clothes will be tumbling within said bag and by means of the elastic straps 90 will be caused to be kept separated from each other so that the heated air current circulating therethrough will dry the clothes more efiectively. Thus the straps not only serve to impart rotation to the unit or tumbling bag but also serve the purpose of separating the pieces of clothes or material to be dried while they are tumbling within said bag to more effectively dry same.

The clothes as heretofore described may be inserted which may be kept in the home and small compartments,

The bag when collapsed assumes an acin closets, under the sink or the like places without ccupying much space.

in Figs. 11 to 14 is shown a modified form of clothes drum to be used in lieu of the collapsible bag 86 heretofore described. In this construction the rotatable drum generally designated by the numeral 104 is made of a rigid material such as metal or plastic and comprises three cylindrical sections 166, M8 and 110 each having spaced V shaped longitudinal ribs 112. The sections are of different circumferences so that sections 108 and 11h nest within each other and within section N6 when the drum is collapsed as shown in Fig. 12. The ribs 112 permit the longitudinal sliding and telescoping of the sections with respect to each other and yet provide a rigid connection therebetween so that they rotate simul' taneously when driven. Sections MP3 and lit) each have flanges 114 and 116 respectively which engage with the flanges 118 and 129 of sections 1% and lit) when the sections are in extended position.

Section 106 is secured to the disc 74 which is supported on the tubular conduit 41 Section 110 is secured to the disc 7% which is rotatably supported on the front wall 66 by the spindle 68. The drum is rotatably driven by the friction wheel 23 in engagement with the disc 74. Numerals corresponding to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 10 have been used to indicate like parts. The housing and the remaining elements for op erating the unit are similar to those previously described and are not repeated in this description. The difference between the construction shown in Figs. 11 to 14 and that shown in Figs. 1 to 10 resides in the construction of the clothes drum just described.

For access to the interior of the drum ifid, there is provided an enlarged opening 122 thy central cylindrical section 1% which is closed by a removable cover 124. The cover is held in closed position by a manually rotatable spring clamp 126 secured thereto which when rotated to the transverse position shown in Fig. 1 engages the walls of the cylindrical section 108 and when rotated to a longitudinal position permits removal of the cover.

The drum shown in Figs. 11 to 14 is collapsed or telescoped merely by pushing the front wall 66 in the direction of the wall 18 and same may be locked in collapsed position by clips similar to clip 98. The drum is extended by moving front wall 66 in the opposite direction. The drum sections are provided with spaced perforations 128 which serve the same purpose as the porous bag.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope or" the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable drier of the character described comprising a housing substantially of the size of a carrying case and having a fixed length when closed, a cylindrical container supported within said housing, said container being longitudinally extensible and contractible to vary the length of said container, said container when extended for drying operation being adapted to extend beyond the fixed length of said housing and when in retracted position being adapted to be confined within the fixed length of said housing, means within said housing for rotating said container when in extended position to tumble the articles within said container constituting the drier load, means within said housing for introducing heated air into said container while same is rotating, said container affording venting of the air after the air has blown upon the drier load.

2. In a portable drier of the character described comprising a housing substantially of the size of a carrying case and having a fixed length when closed, a cylindrical container supported within said housing, said container being longitudinally extensible and contractible to vary the length of said container, said container when extended for drying operation being adapted to extend beyond the fixed length of said housing and when in retracted position being adapted to be confined within the fixed length of said housing, means within said housing for rotating said container when in extended position to tumble the articles within said container constituting the drier load, means within said housing for introducing heated air into said container while same is rotating, said container affording venting of the air after the air has blown upon the drier load, and locking means for locking said container in either extended or contracted positions.

3. In a portable drier of the character described comprising a housing substantially of the size of a carrying case and having a fixed length when closed, a cylindrical flexible bag supported within said housing, said bag being longitudinally extensible and contractible to vary the length of said bag, said bag when extended for drying operation being adapted to extend beyond the fixed length of said housing and when in retracted position being adapted to be confined within the fixed length of said housing, said bag having means permitting the in troduction into or removal from said bag of articles constituting the drier load, means within said housing for rotating said bag when in extended position, means within said housing for introducing heated air into said bag while same is rotating, said bag affording venting of the air after the air has blown upon the drier load.

4. In a portable drier of the character described, including a collapsible cylindrical bag formed of a flexible material and having opposite end walls, said bag having means permitting the introduction into or removal from said bag of articles constituting the drier load said bag being axially supported at its opposite and walls, one of said end walls being longitudinally fixed and the other longitudinally movable with respect thereto to increase or decrease the capacity of the bag, an inlet into said bag on the axis of said fixed end, means for introducing heated air through said inlet, said bag affording venting of the air after the air has blown upon the drier load, and means for rotating said bag.

5. A portable drier comprising a housing having a substantially fixed volume, a collapsible container within said housing and movable outside said housing to form r a container having a desired volume greater than in its collapsed position, means on said container for permitting the introduction into or removal from the container of articles constituting the drier load, blower and heating means in said housing and in communication with said container for introducing a blast of hot air into said container, said container affording venting of the blast of air after the air has blown upon the drier load.

6. A portable drier comprising a housing having a substantially fixed volume, a collapsible container within said housing and movable outside said housing to form a container having a desired volume greater than in its collapsed position, means on said container for permitting the introduction into or removal from the container of articles constituting the drier load, blower and heating means in said housing and in communication with said container for introducing a blast of hot air into said container, said container affording venting of the blast of air after the air has blown upon the drier load, and means for rotating said container to tumble the drier load.

7. A portable drier comprising a housing, a collapsible container rotatably supported by said housing, means for extending said collapsible container to form a container having a desired volume greater than in its collapsed position, means on said collapsible container for permitting the introducing into or removal from said container of articles constituting the drier load, blower and heating means in said housing and in communication with said container for introducing a blast of hot air into said container, said container affording venting of the blast of air after the air has blown upon the drier load,

'2. means for rotating said container to tumble the drier load, and means within said container facilitating tumbling of said drier load during rotation of said container.

8. A portable drier comprising a housing, a collapsible container rotatably supported with respect to said housing and expandable and contractible with respect to said housing, means for extending said collapsible container to form a container having a desired volume greater than in its collapsed position, said container formed of an air permeable material and having means for confining the articles constituting the drier load, means on said collapsible container for permitting the introduction into or removal from said container of articles constituting the drier load, blower and heating means in said housing and in communication with said container for introducing a blast of hot air into said container, and means for rotating said container to tumble the drier load.

9. A portable drier comprising a housing, a coliapsible container rotatably supported with respect to said housing and expandable and contractible with respect to said housing, means for extending said collapsible container to form a container having a desired volume greater than in its collapsed position, said container confining the articles constituting the drier load, means on said collapsible container for permitting the introduction into or removal from said container of articles constituting the drier load, a blower means in said housing and in communication with said container for introducing a blast of air into said container, said container aifording venting of the blast of air after the air has blown upon the drier load, and means for rotating said container to tumble the drier load.

10. In a portable clothes drier comprising a carrying case, a cylindrical bag formed of a flexible material and having rigid end members and being rotatably supported on said rigid end members by said carrying case, means permitting the introduction into or removal from said bag of articles constituting the drier load, one of said rigid end members having an axial opening communicating with the interior of the bag, an electric motor, air blower and heating element supported within said carrying case adjacent the end member of said bag having the axial opening, means operated by said motor for rotating said bag to tumble the drier load, means within said bag facilitating tumbling of said drier load during rotation of said bag, a conduit connecting said air blower and heating element with said axial opening to permit the heated air to enter said rotatable bag, said bag affording venting of the heated air after it has blown upon the drier load.

11. In a portable drier of the character described comprising a housing substantially of the size of a carrying case and having a fixed length when closed, a cylindrical telescopic container secured within said housing, means for extending said telescopic container beyond the fixed length of said housing to increase the capacity of the container during the drying operation, said container having means permitting the introduction into or removal from said container of articles constituting the drier load, means within said housing for rotating said container when in extended position, means for introducing heated air into said container, said container affording venting of the air after the air has blown upon the drier load.

12. In a portable drier of the character described comprising a housing substantially of the size of a carrying case and having a fixed length when closed, a telescopic container secured within said housing, means for extending said telescopic container beyond the fixed length of said housing and for securing same in extended position to increase the capacity of the container during the drying operation, means'permitting the introduction into or re moval from said container of articles constituting the drier load, an electric motor and an air blower operated by said motor both mounted within said housing, a heating element in said housing, said blower and heating element being in communication with the interior of said container to conduct the heated air into said container, means operated by said motor for rotating said container, said container aflording venting of the air after the air has blown upon the drier load.

13. In a portable clothes drier of the character described including a telescopic drum for supporting the clothes to be dried, said drum being extensible and contractible in the direction of its length, means for rotating said telescopic drum during the clothes drying operation when in extended position, and means for introducing air into said telescopic drum during said drying operation, and means on said drum for venting said air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,113,047 French Apr. 5, 1938 2,132,972 Schmidt Oct. 11, 1938 2,655,735 Traube Oct. 20, 1953 2,686,978 Herbster Aug. 24, 1954 2,701,921 Strongson Feb. 15, 1955 

